Jermuk Ջերմուկ is an in one of the most beautiful places in Armenia. Volcanic ridges rise from the desert into rolling high plateaus and meadow lands punctuated by deep canyons and gullies.

The following is an enthusiast tour of my new hometown Jermuk. Things are going to change dramatically for the town and it’s people in the next few years due to economic prosperity and new wealth. Included are my sincere remarks about my opinions on Armenian development and where I think the town is going.

It’s hard to say where in the US or world it compares too, maybe Taos in New Mexico.
If its redevelopment is successful it should become world-class resort it was planned to be by Soviet designers.

Primary Projects to meet the Goals of Peace Corps
Secondary Projects that also meet Goals of Peace Corps
Personal Projects: I am interested is this project and believe there is Potential Peace Corps Support

Keeping the park generally in its current layout, few kiosks mostly by the main road and no new major development in the park.

Pipes, pipes everywhere. Water pipes, gas pipes just lay across the paths. I just witnessed another gas line installed next to the scenic path around the lake: 11/13/2004. Parts of paths remain half excavated.

Funded by Armenian Forests NGO and city government

Left Bank Community Park Project: (Projected, next year?)

Designed to provide green and open space for people in Left Bank

Foster new ideas about public open space in Armenia especially in the apartment complexes so common in most cities.

Trees provide protection from wind

Education for children

Not sure about final location

Proposed AutoCAD Classes

Living with City Architect

Helped on some small projects

Currently no computers in architect’s office

Road and Bridge Reconstruction (now, not actively involved)

The first phase of Road construction will be completed this fall.

This includes the main roads to Jermuk from the valley and in the city.

The main bridge has been repainted and refurbished

Most of right bank sidewalks have been reconstructed and paved

Next year work will continue on the minor roads to access surrounding communities.

Traffic signals remain out of service and many lighting fixtures need to be upgraded.

Hotel Restoration Development and Water Gallery Restoration (now, not actively involved)

The Hotel Armenia is the first post soviet destination hotel in Jermuk.

Formerly the polyclinic for the right bank and the center for any health related therpoly.

Redesigned as a luxury spa comparable to any in Western Europe or the US funded by owner of Jermuk Group and former mayor.

Its restoration was partnered with Jermuk’s most famous architectural landmark the Water Gallery.

All the paving stones were replaced and the building generally cleaned however I don’t believe that there were any significant improvements in piping and structure. It was cosmetic work, as most of the work around Jermuk and Armenia appears to be.

During Soviet times there were three public restroom facilities in Jermuk

Current there are none, people coming to the town and currently use the city park and its bushes as a toilet.

There is talk about putting the former Water Gallery restroom back in commission, but there is little unified support between the business interests in town and the city government, everyone claims not to have the funds.

Maybe this a candidate for composing toilets

New Polyclinic or Hospital

Old building located near Ketchup was to big

New building smaller and located in left bank was constructed using private funds?

Part of the kindergarten planned as a place for older people.

Mission East interested?

Reforestation

Tree Coppicing, with Armenian Forests NGO

School education?

GIS and Park/Natural Reserve Establishment

Analysis of resources in Jermuk and Arpa river valley

Some type of management of forests would be positive

Trash Collection and Containers

Aluminum Boxes were stolen in the post Soviet years

No collection methods currently

Trash Management and Landfills

Two major dumps in Jermuk

Neither one is sanitary

Water Management

Metering

Running sinks and toilets

Bathroom satiation

Waste water outlets

Jermuk Branch of the Armenian Red Cross: (open since 2000)

It provides extracurricular activities for children and adults.

Main goals: First Aid education and environmental education as well as outdoor recreation Examples: helping plant trees with the Armenian Forests, and getting cloth bags as an option in stores around Jermuk.

Write several grants, example: Eurasia Foundation, to update the offices and pay the rent.

Meet with Yerevan office to see what types of profit generation activities are expectable, to support the office

Get a calendar of activities planned throughout the year.

Recreation: another idea for profit generating activity for Jermuk Branch of the Armenian Red Cross

Local crafts: Wood crafts and cut stone. Carpets made a local carpet factory. A mini Vernissage in the mountains.

Local produce: honey and herbs

Agricultural Products from region, such as goat cheese from USDA Yerginotizor Arid Goat center. The marketing department of the USDA Yerevan office is also working on selling the cheese generated at the center in the local town, Yerevan, and overseas. They contracted with a local pottery works to make several sizes of small clay urns to store the cheese in. They are decorated with a primitive goat motif and sealed with a wax plug. I was thinking they could sell some to tourists in Jermuk during the tourist season. Try: www.usda.am

I have grouped different types of recreation into three groups based on environmental and economic impact.

Low impact (recreational activities): the most successful require almost no info structure development. All that is needed is equipment for rental and general information about the best location to recreate in. Equipment: This can be bought or donated.

Biking (spring, summer, fall), Ideal!!! Rolling hills and plateau. There are spectacular views from almost every location on the high land. There are many Jeep trails to follow and few fences or farms.

Locations:
Hills to the northwest of Jermuk offer great opportunities with their gentle yet undulating terrain.

Snow shoeing and Cross-country skiing (winter) Heavy snow fall in the area makes it ideal for winter trekking.

Hiking and Camping (all seasons) In the areas to the north and south of Jermuk there is beautiful undeveloped wilderness. The only people who frequent the area are summer herders. There are good water sources along streams. In canyons and ravines there are many potential protected campsites. With such up obstructed views it is hard to miss the many species of wildlife and plant life.

Kite boarding on snow and water (all seasons) I think this will work well on snow in the winter. I am not sure about contamination level of the reservoir to be able to swim in it.

Moderate impact: require a more development and would probably have to be run by businesses, if individuals didn’t have gear. May need to be regulated.

Sports shooting (all seasons) Graws and pheasant are numerous. Wild pigs are also common

Horseback riding (summer tourist season) Examples of rides: Down the Arpa valley from Gndevaz village to visit the Vak. Up to the high plateau to visit the hot springs distinct from the town.

Paragliding (year round) a hot dry wind generally blows up the Arpa valley from the desert daily. There are several almost treeless hills that rise abruptly around five hundred feet next an old two kilometer aircraft landing strip.

Kayaking and rafting (tourist season) I haven’t thoroughly scouted the Arpa River but it appears that the river is quite boulder choked and therefore would be only runnable but expert kayakers. The wastewater from the whole town of Jermuk enters directly into the river. Beyond the dam new construction of a pipeline on the old Jermuk road has caused the river to be filled with scree causing serious blockage and visual destruction. In places it no longer looks like a river canyon but gravel piles.

Bungee jumping (tourist season) The over to three hundred foot drop from this metal arch would make a compelling leap. I wonder if it has been tried in the Caucasus region before

High Impact: Heavy infrastructure development and investment, expensive equipment

Downhill skiing, snowboarding (winter and spring) Huge investment and not sustainable unless community is dependent on it?

Current Situation: Unlike much of the rest of Armenia’s cities, the info structure for central heating generally remains. The pipes and radiators remain because the central heating stations recently shut down.

Gas Pipes,

Electric Transmission Lines:

Micro Hydropower Option

One station is operating currently

Using old Soviet equipment with little or no safety practices

These a really popular PC projects in mountainous developing countries.

I saw several in Nepal that were powering villages, they are about the size of a washing machine or smaller.

Hydrothermal Option

Has hydrothermal Power been explored?

What investment does this require?

Where has this been used successfully? Iceland ?

They say the only solution to decentralizing the heating in Armenia is running natural gas to every house and apartment.

This has created a mess of pipes running above ground everywhere in Armenia. The Armenians don’t like to bury any of there utilities outside of central Yerevan.

Municipal Government: Selling most of town property to private investors

International NGOs

Diaspora Community Members

Community donations

Glendale and Washington DC

As you know there is a huge Armenian population in Glendale, LA, over a million, many first generation. I was thinking about sending several flyers out to my uncle to put up in various health spas, gyms, and sports equipment shops. Armenian Americans could donate their old equipment to the Peace Corps to help Jermuk, the primer outdoor destination in Armenia.

Jeffery, Armenian Forests, gets a lot of donations shipped over through a Diaspora organization in Yerevan that specializes in shipping donated items. I will learn more about it. I will come up with a draft of a flyer and maybe a PowerPoint explaining what Jermuk is.

1. Extracurricular activities for children and adults, First Aid education, outdoor recreation and environmental education. Examples: helping plant trees with the Armenian Forests, and getting cloth bags as an option in stores around Jermuk.

2. Write several grants, example: Eurasia Foundation, to update the offices and pay the rent.

3. Meet with Yerevan office to see what types of profit generation activities are expectable, to support the office

The bus to Jermuk runs daily from Yeghegnadzor 2pm Mon thru Sat and 4pm on Sunday. The bus trip takes approximately two hours in good conditions. Yeghegnadzor is about twenty minutes from Vike via Malishka